i-,6 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 527 



While awaiting the discovery of new evidence tending to estab- 

 lish a glacial man in America, I have undertaken to analyze the 

 old testimony as embodied in the writings of investigators of the 

 American questions, and short papers covering part of this ground 

 will soon appear. I had not anticipated this present diversion, 

 however, as I had thought of Mr. Haynes only as a convenient 

 verifier of that large class of unfortunate "paleoliths" whose 

 pedigree happens to be shaky. My work was intended to bear 

 only upon that of real investigators, such as Abbott and Cresson 

 and Metz, who have for years sought earnestly, if not always ef- 

 fectively, for the evidence that is to make symmetric the culture 

 development of two hemispheres. Those writers who undertake 

 to use, and defend the evidence collected by, these students, will 

 do well to remember that they shine by borrowed light, and should 

 for much-vaunted modesty's sake, if not for science sake, keep 

 well within reach of its limited ray. 



If my "rash" assertions, hitherto made, respecting the nat- 

 ure of the testimony relied upon to establish a glacial, paleo- 

 lithic man in America, lead finally to a just estimate of the I'eal 

 evidence and to the establishment of a firm basis for future opera- 

 tions in this great field, I shall feel amply repaid, notwithstand- 

 ing the storms of sharp words and the streamlets of doggerel the 

 publication of these views seems destined to call forth. 



W. H. Holmes. 



Washington. D.C. 



The Neanderthal Skull. 



In reference to Professor Haynes's observation in Science. Feb. 

 24, p. 107, that, not having seen the report of Professor Virchow's 

 address, he could not judge "how far Dr. Brinton may have been 

 misled by his authorities," I beg permission to furnish both him 

 and other readers of Science the opportunity of judging, by quot- 

 ing Virchow's precise words about the place and surroundings of 

 the Neanderthal skull. They are as follows: — 



" Ftir die Beurtheilung dieser Gebeine ist es von Wichtigkeit 

 zu erwahnen dass dieselben aus keiner Hohle herstammen ; auch 

 hat man sie nicht an ihrer Lagerstatte aufgefunden, niemand hat 

 sie ausgegraben, sie sind in Bezug auf die geologischen Verhalt- 

 nisse, unter denen sie sich befanden, nicht Gegenstand der 

 Beobachtung gewesen. Sie wurden gefunden in einer Schlucht, 

 die zuniiohst eines Bergabhanges sich gebildet hatte ; durch diese 

 Schlucht waren Wasser herabgekommen und batten allerlei 

 herausgespiilt ; wo die einzelnen Stiicke friiher gelegen batten, 

 wusste niemand. Darunter befanden sich auch das Bruchstilck 

 des Schadels." 



Professor Haynes refers to the finder, "Dr. Fuhlrott" (evi- 

 dently meaning Fullroth). This person's statements are seriously 

 questioned by Professor Virchow, apparently from information 

 derived from Mrs. Fullroth, who imparted it in unsuspecting 

 innocence of the grave decisions involved ; as the Professor 

 gleefully narrates. Virchow's earlier report will be found in the 

 Verhand. der Berliner Anthrop. Gesell. for 1873. 



D. G. Brinton. 

 Philadelphia, March 1. 



scending multitudes of these bubbles, pretty uniform in size. say. 

 8 or 9 inches in diameter, apparently ; none less than six ; no small 

 ones being observed. 



The two observers state that they carefully fixed their atten- 

 tion on particular bubbles, in order to compare notes, and saw 

 them seem to rest on the bough of a tree, or the top board of the 

 fence, and then gently roll off and disappear or go out of sight. 

 The sun was sinking and dropped below the opposite hills as they 

 reached the foot of the long descent and entered the village, and 

 the appearance came to an end. But up to this time the air 

 seemed to be filled with these transparent floating spheres. The 

 position of the observers with regard to the light seems to have 

 made some difference as to seeing well this or that large aggre- 

 gation or swarm that one or the other pointed out. The bubbles 

 were highly colored, iridescent, gave the same sort of reflections 

 as soap-bubbles, and apparently vanished individually in much 

 the same way. All these points I have ascertained by repeated 

 conversations. 



Captain Hetherington (Lieuteant Colonel by merit) is widely 

 known for his extensive apiaries, the largest in the country, and 

 is an exceptionally good observer. Mr. Sternberg also is a 

 gentleman of intelligence and careful observant character. 



The only theory 1 have been able to form to account for such a 

 phenomenon is, that if a certain kind of dust floated off in the 

 air, each particle composed of some sort of saponaceous envelope, 

 enclosing a highly expansible centre or core, like ammonia, — 

 particles of this character expanded by the warm air, and at the 

 same time moistened, might, under very nice conditions, produce 

 such an effect. 



I will add, apropos of snow-rollers, that Mr. Sternberg states 

 that, years ago, he once saw, in Schoharie County, what he called 

 "auger borings" of snow; which he described as spiral rolls, 

 about two inches in diameter, and broken into fragments of vari- 

 ous sizes, like the borings turned out by an auger. 



Henrt U. Swlnnerton, Ph.D. 



The Parsonage, Cherry Valley, N.Y. 



Aerial Bubbles. 



The account of "snow-rollers" in your recent issue recalls an 

 atmospheric phenomenon which was beheld here by two witnesses 

 of unimpeachable character several years ago, of which no ac- 

 count has ever been published. ' Towards sunset, late in April, 

 1886, on a warm, thawing day, the show rapidly disappearing, 

 two men, Capt. John E. Hetherington and Mr. Marcus Sternberg, 

 as they rode down the long hill towards this village from the 

 east, saw what appeared to be innumerable spherical bodies float- 

 ing in the air like soap-bubbles. Both men saw and wondered at 

 the appearance for some moments before either spoke. Capt. H. 

 then said, "I wonder whether I am dreaming?" The other 

 rubbed his eyes and echoed the sentiment. "Well," said the 

 captain, " I wonder if you see what I see; what do you see?" 

 They questioned each other, and both agreed as to their impres- 

 sions. An orchard lay along the lower and northwesterly side of 

 the road, and all in among the apple-trees wei'e thick, gently-de- 



Hardy Towhee Buntings. 



Hating noticed the effect of the recent severe weather on the 

 crows near Washington, which Dr. Ridgway gives an account of 

 in Science of Feb. 10, I was greatly surprised to find the towhee 

 bunting (P. erythropfhalmus) evidently wintering here. During 

 the second week in January last, I observed two individuals and 

 heard the notes of others. As the towhee seems to get most of 

 its food upon the ground, its presence during deep snows and 

 severe cold rather surprised me. The authors of the U. S. National 

 Museum Bulletin, No. 20 (Avi Fauna Columbiana), say of the 

 towhee: "Chiefly a spring and autumn migi-ant. A few breed 

 with us, but none remain during the winter." It usually makes 

 its appearance here in the first warm weather in March, and I 

 have found it to breed quite abundantly in suitable localities. 

 During the same cold snap I picked up numbers of dead gold- 

 finches, juncos, and native sparrows, evidently victims of the 

 weather. The turkey vultures (O. aura) also suffer from the cold 

 and are sometimes found unable to fly, their plumage being coated 

 with snow and ice. In order to prevent the extermination of the 

 bob-white during the past winter, a Virginia sportsman's club 

 furnished quantities of wheat-screenings to any persons who 

 would place the same in localities frequented by the birds. 



Albert B. Farnham. 



Bennings, D.C. 



The Speech of Children. 



The paper in Science of March 3, having the above title, by Mr. 

 A. Stevenson, has much interested me. In the fifth jiaragraph, 

 on page 120, the author says: "The child apparently regarded 

 himself only as object and not at all as subject." This conclusion 

 is reached by the child's use of the third person in speaking of 

 himself. It seems to me inconceivable that a conscious being 

 should regard himself other than as subject. The peculiarity of 

 expression — a common enough one in children — I believe to 

 exist, first, because the child hears himself constantly referred to 



